Beckenham Improvements work update 18th September 2017

Improvement Works Update courtesy of F M Conway, contractor for the works.

Phase 3 works:

• In front of Kelsey house and the former toilets works will continue to excavate the highway, install additional drainage and the new introduction of new kerbing will continue. The construction of the PAD parking will also continue.
• Granite paving will continue to be laid on the north-west and north-east corner of Thorntons Corner.
• Thames Water has had a problem with one of their water mains The repair works are due to be finished early in the week. The road resurfacing is due to be carried out on Friday 22nd September.
• A temporary materials compound will be located near the junction of High Street and Fairfield Road.
• The construction of the new planters on Beckenham Green will continue.

 Further stakeholder consultation

Another meeting with the business community has been arranged for the 25th September 2017 at 18.45 at the Public Halls, 4 Bromley Road, BR3 5JE. The businesses likely to be affected by the Phase 3 works will be contacted directly.

Traffic Management Issues.

From Tuesday 29th August the High Street from the War Memorial to Thornton’s Corner will be one way. The direction of traffic will move northeast, from the War Memorial to Thornton’s Corner with diversions on Rectory Road. This one way system will be in place until the end of November 2017 when works will be suspended for the Christmas period. In January 2018 temporary one way traffic flow will be reintroduced.

Concerns have been raised regarding traffic flow at the junction with Thornton’s Corner. TfL have investigated this issue and have adjusted them to regulate the green light timings to account for traffic flow at certain times of the day.

The left turn from one section of the High Street to the other is, presently much sharper for buses, due to the works outside Kelsey Park House on the opposite corner. Buses are currently slowing to avoid safety barriers therefore forcing vehicles from Manor Road and Kelsey Park Road to wait. As the work progresses along this section of the High Street, the situation will improve.

(For reference some works such as traffic signals and power connections are conducted by outside agencies such as Transport for London and UKPN. The project does not have control of these works).

The High Street from Thorntons Corner to Beckenham Junction has remained one directional. Consideration by the Councils Highways Department and TfL has concluded that this is the best solution during the remainder of the works. It is considered that despite diversions signs some cars would continue to drive south from Bromley Road junction and cause traffic management problems when confronted with the one directional traffic management for the High Street between Thorntons Corner and the War Memorial.

New road closures and bus diversions are in place. Helen McConnell can supply a copy of the new bus stops at the below email address.

The completed scheme

Feedback from the community has revealed that there are some incorrect preconceptions about the scheme.

• The High Street will not be pedestrianised. Improvements will however greatly improve the pedestrian environment with wider pavements, improved lighting and more and better road crossings.
• After the improvements are complete the High Street will revert to two way traffic as prior to the improvements. The larger widenings such as the North-West corner of Thorntons Corner have been designed to enable the largest road vehicles to comfortably navigate the corner in both directions. Changes to the vehicle stop lines and traffic signalling will enable vehicles to use the reduced road space with minimal impacts on traffic flows.
• No existing bus stops will be removed from the High Street. All bus stops will however be improved and will become fully disabled accessible. In order to create sufficient waiting space for passengers some bus stops will be located on what is the highway at present.
• The scheme will not introduce shared surfaces where the footway and road surface will be on the same level. Throughout the scheme a kerb will be retained between the pavement and the road and the pedestrian areas will be a traditional pavement above vehicular areas except at crossing places.
• Many of the parking spaces are inset into the paving (achieved by widening the paving not reducing it). They are flush with the pavement to avoid a trip hazard kerb.